i was working with a beautician when i had my first set back after taking out a weave. i had great growth - but random bald spots from the anchoring of the weave.

I decided to get my hair texlaxed. that's when i discovered the thin crown. you could literally see right through it.

the beautician tried to figure out why my hair started breaking off during the shampoo phase right into the sink. it started at the crown. he then said: "I have a client who is african american. Her hair pattern is exactly like yours. She grows her hair out for about a year - then it starts breaking off at the crown. We know what happens next, so we just cut the rest of her hair off and start over - every year.

I no longer wanted to stay in that cycle - so i researched and found out that supplementation with DHT blockers, (i.e., beta sisterol, stinging nettle, saw palmetto, etc.) changed everything.

I will try to address everything. Femm, your story sounds exactly like mine. I haven't tried Nioxin in about 10 years but I have really thought about trying it again. I do however take DHT blockers (although I didn't know that's what they were)

I've tried protein with the Aphogee 2 step and Megatek. It stops for about 2 days then starts back up and it seems worse.

I've added either peppermint oil or tea tree oil to my shampoo I also have it in my MT solution.

I tried Minoxidil the year before last and honestly I think I stopped too soon. It never soaked in completely and you could see it in my hair. I'm really thinking of trying it again in liquid form, like a Rogain or Regro.

I haven't been to a doctor this year but I've been to the derm in years past and none have helped.

It's just frustrating. I only get 1 shot a year. 1 shot to get it right, work hard all year long and think I'm making progress just for it to slap me in the face and tell me I haven't done anything. Then I have to try again for another year.

I don't HAVE to BC, if I continue on like I am it will stop in January.

I went through every piece of hair on my hand in the picture and it was about 10 hairs that had follicles. The rest was just breakage.

Vitamin D Deficient Hair Loss

Many of us have heard of the side effects of not receiving
enough vitamin D in your diets or from the lack of exposure to sunlight.
The fact that not getting an adequate amount of vitamin D can lead to
weakened teeth, bones, and muscles, as well as a variety of other health
concerns, is often discussed when talking about a Vitamin D deficiency.

However, one of the lesser known side effects is Vitamin D deficient hair loss. If you are Vitamin D deficient,
then you run a higher risk of experiencing noticeable hair loss, and
should consult with your doctor as soon as possible to begin treatments.

How can a vitamin D deficiency cause hair loss?

In order to understand how vitamin D deficient hair loss is caused, it's important to know about the cycles of hair growth and shedding.

There are, essentially, three phases within the process of hair
growth regulation, which is often referred to as hair-follicle cycling.

The three phases are: anagen, catagen, and telogen. The
anagen phase is when your hair grows, the catagen phase is when your
hair stops growing, and the telogen phase is when your hair reaches it's
dead state.

However, if you are vitamin d deficient, then these cycles can become
interrupted or altered. For instance, one phase may become longer while
another is dramatically shortened. This can lead to Vitamin D deficient
hair loss, as the phases of hair-follicle cycling are being impeded.

How can I avoid vitamin D deficient hair loss?

You can avoid becoming Vitamin D deficient by ensuring that you include Vitamin D rich foods
in your diet each day. Foods that contain a good amount of Vitamin D
are: salmon, mackerel, tuna, eggs, milk, and sh*take mushrooms.

If you aren't able to include this foods in your diet, then you
should consider taking Vitamin D supplements in order to avoid Vitamin D
deficient hair loss.

If the deficiency grows to level which are dangerously
low, then your doctor might recommend that you receive large amounts of
Vitamin D in the form of oral supplements or injections.

Though vitamin D deficient hair loss
is often overlooked when it comes to the symptoms of being Vitamin D
deficient, it's important to know that it is a rather common side effect
of not including this essential vitamin in your diet.

If you think that you might have Vitamin D deficient hair loss, then you should begin taking Vitamin D supplement or eating vitamin D rich foods, and schedule an appointment with your doctor.

I live in the Caribbean and know people who suffer vitamin D deficiency... its more common than people realise

whoa! Jamcaygirl! thanks for helping us out with this. I did notice in the OP's supplementation list? there's no multivitamin or vitamin D.

Hey OP, what d'ya think? do you think a multivitamin will cover the vitamin deficiencies you might be missing?

The nioxin recharging complex - as well as their competitors has all the vitamins you'll need PLUS the DHT blockers.

Other supplements in my diet/exercise regimen: chlorella. Do me a favor, Cindygirl, and go to the long hair care forum. do a search on chlorella. you will see pages and pages and more pages on how this superfood helps ..

I work in the medical field.. and from behind the scenes, i learned there is so much that your traditional physicians lack in ethnic pathologies. I decided to abandon physicians and beauticians and experimenting with supplements. So far, so good. but it's work!

You know what I have thought about Vitamin D deficiency. But I've never asked anyone to check. I've also read about Chlorella in the past, but I will go over to LHCF and read up on it again.

I have never thought of a multi. When I initially started my natural hair journey I was taking Accutane for acne. I started taking a lot of supplements to combat hair loss since I already had this problem, and it is one of the side effects of Accutane. When you're on Accutane you need to watch you Vitamin A intake. I couldn't find a multi without it, so I took a slew of pills to make my own multi. Once I stopped taking the Accutane, I never thought about adding a multi. I will get one. Any suggestions?Femme I too work in the medical field and would prefer holistic ways if at all possible

You know what I have thought about Vitamin D deficiency. But I've never asked anyone to check. I've also read about Chlorella in the past, but I will go over to LHCF and read up on it again.

I have never thought of a multi. When I initially started my natural hair journey I was taking Accutane for acne. I started taking a lot of supplements to combat hair loss since I already had this problem, and it is one of the side effects of Accutane. When you're on Accutane you need to watch you Vitamin A intake. I couldn't find a multi without it, so I took a slew of pills to make my own multi. Once I stopped taking the Accutane, I never thought about adding a multi. I will get one. Any suggestions?Femme I too work in the medical field and would prefer holistic ways if at all possible

i take one called Opti-Women as a multivitamin. (This can be found on Bodybuilding.com)... and a slew of others for my exercise and lifestyle. I work out very hard and need the extra supplementation.

As for the DHT blocker and vitamin complex? I started taking Hair Omega. They are just as potent - actually moreso than Nioxin. and they have worked for me in the last 6-7months. The down side of hair omega? well, the pills are HUGE. You have to take 3 of them.

Look on Amazon.com for the reviews and the ingredients. Quite a few folks have turned to Hair omega (Horse pills or not) as a better alternative to Nioxin. Many people have chosen other hair vitamins on the website because of the "gag factor"..

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